1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a card display system. More specifically, a card with pop-out object and display system is disclosed.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditional postcards, greeting cards, display cards, and trading cards are flat, i.e., two dimensional. For example, a typical trading card, such as one featuring a baseball, hockey, football, or basketball player, contains a photograph of a professional athlete along with biographic and sports statistics information for that athlete. Trading cards are very popular particularly with younger sports fans and are often traded amongst the sports fans.
Pop-up cards and books are known and are three dimensional. An example of a pop-up card or book includes a cut out of an object such as one containing an image of a person or an animal. The object is attached to another page, such as a backing page, of the card or book. When the card or book is opened, the cut out object pops out of, i.e., is positioned above, the page in a three dimensional manner.
As another example, a card stock page has a die cut outline around a portion of the perimeter of an object such as one containing an image of a person or an animal such that the object may be partially separated from the card stock page along the die cut outline. The card stock page may further include tabs and fold lines such that the sheet may be folded along the fold lines and secured with the tabs to form a stand in which the partially separated image stands separate from and above the remainder of the card stock page. An example of such a pop up card is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,604. As is evident, when viewed from a back side of the object, the stand is shaped with an outline of the separated portion of the object.
Thus, a conventional three dimensional pop up card does not form an object displayed in a stand in a sleek and aesthetically pleasing manner as viewed from various directions.
A card with pop-out object and display system is disclosed. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, or a method. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention are described below.
The display card generally comprises a base having a non-display surface and an opposing display surface and comprising at least two support portions and a platform portion disposed between the support portions for supporting the platform portion when the display card is in a display configuration, and at least one flap securable to the non-display surface of the base when the display card is in a generally flat, storage configuration and securable to the display surface when the card is in the display configuration, wherein the non-display surface is generally hidden from view when the display card is in the display configuration.
The display card typically further includes an object and an object housing integrally attached to the non-display surface of the base. The object housing may be integral to the base, i.e., one single component. The object housing defines an opening for removably storing the object therein. The base serves as a backing to the object when the object is stored in the object housing. In addition, the platform portion secures and displays the object thereon such that the opening defined in the object housing is generally hidden from view when the display card is in the display configuration.
The object may include a display mechanism such as tabs and the base platform portion may define corresponding apertures into which the tabs may be inserted and secured for display of the object on the platform portion. The base optionally defines a hole open to and smaller than the opening defined in the object housing which may facilitate removal of the object from the object housing.
The display portion is disposed between the support portions and the flaps are preferably disposed on each side of the display portion. Each flap may define pins configured to be received by and secured into corresponding indentations defined in the base or the object housing when the card is in the storage configuration and into corresponding cavities defined in the support portions when the card is in the display configuration. The pins and the corresponding indentations may have a generally circular or semicircular cross-sectional shape. In addition, each pin and corresponding indentation may define an overhang to further facilitate snapping and hooking the pin into the corresponding indentation.
The base and the object housing may provide fold lines such that each of the support portions is foldable along a fold line relative to the display portion. In particular, the support portions may be foldable along the fold lines toward the object housing or the non-display surface of the display card to convert the display card from the storage configuration to the display configuration. Each flap may also be attached to the card via a fold line such that the flap is foldable in a first direction toward the object housing or the non-display surface of the card to be secured in the storage position and foldable in a second direction opposite the first direction toward the display surface of the card to be secured in the display position.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be presented in more detail in the following detailed description and the accompanying figures which illustrate by way of example the principles of the invention.